On February 10, 2023, on the occasion of the Diplomatic Worker's Day, the representatives of the Russian Embassy in Latvia laid flowers at the monument of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, who served in the Collegium of Foreign Affairs, as well as at the grave of the employee of the Consulate General of the USSR in Riga E.K.Eglit.

In previous years, it was a good tradition of the Russian diplomats in Latvia to lay flowers at the memorial stone in Ikskile to the legendary Soviet diplomatic courier T.Y.Netto, who heroically died in the line of duty. However, in August 2022, the Latvian authorities barbarically demolished this monument, having deprived us of such an opportunity.

#Latvia #Russia #RussianEmbassy

https://t.iss.one/rusemblv/4862?single

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

On February 9, 2023, the Constitutional Court of Latvia delivered a final verdict to ban teaching in Russian in private universities. The Latvian "Themis" disregarded even the opinion of the credible European organizations – in September 2022, the EU Court of Justice addressed a recommendation to the local authorities to review language restrictions in commercial educational institutions, which are of a vivid discriminatory nature.

The Latvian government, in an effort to oust the Russian language from all the spheres of public life, is flagrantly ignoring its obligations to protect and support the linguistic rights of the national minorities.

Remarkably, the local ruling elite is of the opinion that the Russian language poses a threat to the Latvian language in higher education, unlike teaching in the EU official languages (including English). Is there anything else one should know about the "absence" of Russophobia in Latvia?"

#Latvia #Russia #RussianEmbassy

https://t.iss.one/rusemblv/4867

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

"We continue to closely follow the situation with the detained in Latvia public activist T. Andriets. Our compatriot has been charged with Articles 81.1 and 84 of the Criminal Law of the Republic of Latvia – "assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against Latvia" and "violation of the sanctions regime". There is no doubt that the criminal proceedings initiated by the Latvian law enforcement agencies against this young girl are of the highly political nature.

We would like to emphasize that we are in close contact with her lawyers and are ready to provide as soon as possible all the necessary legal and diplomatic assistance to the 22-year-old student of St.Petersburg State University.

Unfortunately, the Embassy's capabilities in this particular case are significantly limited. Since T. Andriets is a citizen of Latvia, the Russian diplomatic mission has no formal grounds to apply for consular access to the detainee.

We are grateful to all our compatriots and not indifferent residents of Latvia, who demonstrate their readiness to support the arrested T. Andriets both in word and in deed."

#Latvia #Russia #RussianEmbassy

https://t.iss.one/rusemblv/4873

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

"We keep observing Riga's pretty peculiar attitude to its obligations under "the UN grain deal", which implies the pro-bono transfer of the Russian fertilizers blocked in the ports of thе Western states to the poorest countries of the world.

Let us recall that Latvia accounts for most of them (about 70%). Nevertheless, as it turns out in practice, despite the vital importance of this generous humanitarian mission, the Republic continues to hamper the transfer of fertilizers as intended - to the countries which are in dire need for them on the eve of the sowing season.

If in December, 2022 the Latvian Foreign Ministry announced the shipment of 200 000 tons of fertilizers under the UN World Food Program to the states of Africa and Latin America, then at the beginning of 2023 it was talking about the transfer of 30 000 tons to Kenya. Today, no one remembers about these promises at all. As the sayng goes, things are still there.

As an indispensable condition for the issue of the necessary documents for providing assistance to this African country, the Baltic "partners" require the Russian cargo owner to pay the "debts", which allegedly arose in the result of prolonged storage of fertilizers in the local ports, and in fact – their illegal retention. At the same time, despite the owner's full readiness to cover all costs as soon as possible, the Latvian side blocks payments, referring to the notorious "EU sanctions". Isn't this the height of hypocrisy and cynicism?

It turns out that Riga, contrary to its own promises, has deliberately led the situation to a bureaucratic deadlock, putting forward obviously unrealistic demands.

One can only guess what lies behind this inconsistency. There is an opinion in the local expert circles that someone is trying to earn extra money on this humanitarian action.

If the Western "democracies" not only in word, but also in deed are worried about the diligent implementation by all parties of the "grain deal", then why don't start with Riga and encourage it to transfer as soon as possible the Russian fertilizers to the states in need?"

https://t.iss.one/rusemblv/5305

#Latvia #Russia #RussianEmbassy

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

"We paid attention to the commentary of the Latvian Ministry of Defense about the recent leak of "Pentagon classified documents", alleging, inter alia, 17 Latvian special forces deployed in Ukraine.

The Ministry confirmed that the servicemen of the Republic are indeed present on the territory of Ukraine, but do not ostensibly participate in combat – their duties are limited to the protection of the Embassy and some "cargo".

Considering Rigas unrestrained pumping of the Kiev regime with various types of deadly weapons, which are subsequently used against the civilian population, it is hard to believe in the "peace-loving" nature of the mission of the Latvian military on the territory of this country and their exclusively "support functions".

We would like to remind that Latvia was the first to legalize "recruiting" and sending manpower to the war zone in Ukraine and has firmly established itself as a leader in terms of military supplies, which had long exceeded 1% of the Republic's national GDP."

#Latvia #Ukraine #Russia #RussianEmbassy

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

"On April 20, 2023, the Latvian Saeima hastily approved legislation prohibiting any celebration events on the Victory Day, having in fact "outlawed" 9 May.

We strongly condemn this immoral escapade of the Latvian parliamentarians, whose deeds have long ago gone beyond the bounds of common sense and norms of behavior recognized by civilized nations.

We consider the result of the vote of the local deputies as an insult to the blessed memory of the heroes who gave their lives in the fight against the Fascist invaders, and another attempt to consign to oblivion the lessons of the Second World War by rewriting its results.

Riga's unprecedented campaign on the mass demolition of the monuments to the Soviet soldiers, glorification of the "Waffen-SS" legionnaires, coupled with the persecution of those who disagree with these politics of blasphemy, do violate republic's all international legal obligations.

Any attempts to tarnish the decisive contribution of the USSR to the liberation of the world from the "brown plague" and erase from the Latvians' memory the heroic feat of the Soviet people are no doubt doomed to failure."

#Riga #Latvia #Russia #RussianEmbassy

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

"On April 25, 2023, the Riga City Council approved the decision to dismantle the monument to Alexander Pushkin located in the city center.

The great Russian poet is accused of serving as a "symbol of Russian imperialism" and a "tool of soft power" of the Russian Embassy. In fact, this cowardly trick of the local Russophobes is a cynical attempt to prevent the monument from transforming into a new center of attraction and spiritual unity of the Russian-speaking residents of Latvia.

There was certainly no broad public discussion of this idea: it was initiated by a small group of the nationalistic deputies in the Riga City Council. No one even bothered to ask the opinion of hundreds of thousands of Riga`s residents.

How can such a blatant barbaric act towards a monument devoted to the internationally recognized genius of the world literature occur in a civilized state, the cities of which claim to be the "Cultural Capital of Europe"?

This Jesuit decision, made under hypocritical politicized slogans, is another clear evidence of the rise of xenophobia in the republic and leads to the further increase of interethnic tensions.

Such policy of the Latvian ruling elites deserves nothing, but strong condemnation, and should not be left without attention and principled response from Latvia's partners in the European Union and international specialized organizations".

#Riga #Latvia #Pushkin #Russia #RussianEmbassy

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

"Last weekend the military burial of Soviet soldiers in the city of Jekabpils on Varonu st. was attacked by unknown vandals. The rabid apologists of historical revisionism barbarously tore down the memorial plaques and destroyed their foundation.

In the mentioned mass grave there rest more than 750 soldiers of the Red Army who heroically fell in the battles for freedom and independence of the Latvian land from the fascist “yoke”, including Guards Major General S.P.Kupriyanov and Guards Colonels G.K.Sharikalov and S.G.Gazeev, whose remains were reburied here in August last year. The previous resting place of the latter in the city park of Jekabpils was also desecrated in February 2021, when a cannon, once installed as a symbol of victory over the Nazi invaders, was stolen from the pedestal. The fate of the 76 mm artillery gun is still unknown, the memorial has been dismantled, and the perpetrators of this outrage have remained unpunished.

In a country where the veneration of historical monuments is presented as a threat to national security, and the destruction of cultural monuments has become part of the state policy at the connivance of the local authorities, it is no wonder that such blasphemous mockery of the deceased takes place.

The degraded vandals do not realize that their efforts to destroy the symbols of the historical truth, which is inconvenient for them, are futile, the memory of the great feat of the Red Army soldier will live forever!"

#Jekabpils #Latvia #Russia #RussianEmbassy

https://t.iss.one/rusemblv/6352

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

"On May 30, the Latvian authorities dismantled the sculpture of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin in Riga's park of Kronvald, which for 14 years served as a place of unity of our compatriots and a place of contact with the Russian cultural heritage.

This treacherous step, as is customary here, was carried out secretly under the cover of night in order to avoid unnecessary resonance.

Let's recall that the decision to get rid of this memorial object was taken by the Riga City Council in the best traditions of the "Latvian democracy", without taking into account the opinion of the city's residents and the author of the monument A.Taratynov.

This cowardly trick of the local Russophobes, undertaken out of fear of the consolidation of the Republic`s citizens on the basis of common cultural values, will not change the fact that hundreds of thousands of Latvians still treat with reverence and will always honor the great literary heritage that A.S.Pushkin, a truly world-class poet, left to his descendants.

The purposeful efforts of the Latvian authorities to eradicate objects of the Russian culture not only overshadow the image of a "modern civilized state", but serve as signs of their own weakness."

#Riga #Latvia #Pushkin #Russia #RussianEmbassy

https://t.iss.one/rusemblv/6356

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

"The story of how yesterday's schoolgirl has become a "threat to the national security" of the Republic of Latvia continues. Today, the Riga Court decided to extend for another two months detention of the public activist, student of Saint Petersburg State University Tatiana Andriets. Now, in addition to "violating the sanctions regime," she is charged with "creating a criminal organization," which, in accordance with local criminal law, is punishable by imprisonment from 8 to 17 years.

The local Themis has not yet presented to the public any convincing evidence of the guilt of the Latvian citizen who is not indifferent to what is happening in her country. However, as practice shows, in such initially politicized cases, this is not required. The purpose of this cynical violation of human rights is obvious – to convince the Republic's population of the inevitability of "punishment" for expressing "wrong" thoughts.    

The persecution of the young girl who naively believed that she lives in a state governed by the rule of law is a disgrace to the Latvian justice!"

#Latvia #RussianEmbassy

https://t.iss.one/rusemblv/6422

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in Latvia:

"The Latvian law enforcement officers continue to ruthlessly eradicate the historical memory of their own population.

Apparently, inspired by the classic dystopian novels, where the principle of "control is freedom" is put at the forefront, local lawkeepers began to send out mass notifications on initiating administrative proceedings against Republic's residents, who "had the temerity" to post on social media publications on the occasion of the Victory Day or express their support to them.

In the interpretation of the Latvian "thought police", these acts fall under articles 13 and 131 of the Law on administrative offenses and serve as glorification of the "Soviet totalitarian regime" and "military aggression" (may be fined of up to 350 euros).

We would like to remind that dystopias have been written as a don't-do-that-warning to future generations and not as a guide to action!

The question involuntarily arises: what other surprises may await the "recalcitrant" descendants, who honour the memory of their ancestors - a "Black Maria car" under the window?!

#RussianEmbassy #Russia #RussianMFA #Riga #Latvia

🇷🇺🇱🇻 Commentary of the Russian Embassy in the Republic of Latvia:

❗️We drew attention to the recent statements made by the Latvian education officials that dissemination of information about the Russian distance school programs is considered almost as a threat to the national security and is a subject to careful study by local law enforcement agencies.

By impetuously cracking down on "Russian schools" local fighters for the "ideological purity" of the educational sphere seem to be seriously determined to restrict access to educational programs recognized as "dangerous" for the Western value system.

Judging by the public rhetoric of the Latvian officials, the war against "wrong thinking" in the republic is getting much more horryfying. The question of how such a policy of practically total censorship correlates with the status of the European law-governed state remains open.

#RussianEmbassy #Latvia #RussianMFA #Riga #Censorship #Education #Discrimination